JP2008310725A - Field equipment system and system construction method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a field equipment system for constructing an optimal system composed of field equipment having required minimum functions without any extra functions. <P>SOLUTION: In the field equipment system for connecting functions of field equipment 13 to 15 connected through a control line 2 to a control device 20 in a software manner, the control device 20 is provided with a function setting part 221 for setting the functions in the field equipment 13 to 15; a function connection part 222 for setting function connection between the functions; and a server 23 for storing software for executing the functions, and for downloading the software to the field equipment 13 to 15. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a field device system that operates in a factory or a plant, and more particularly to a field device system with an improved system construction function.

A field device system is composed of a control device (DCS, PLC, etc.) and a field device device (control device such as a flow meter, temperature sensor, valve, etc., hereinafter referred to as field device), and is connected to the control line from the control device. It is a system for monitoring and controlling a plurality of field device devices.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional field device system. The control device 10 includes a monitoring / control unit 11 that monitors and controls field devices, and a function connection unit 12 that performs software connection of functions installed in the field devices, and is physically connected via the control line 2. Are connected to field devices (A to C) 3 to 5. In FIG. 6, the functions A-1 and A-2 of the field device 3, the function B-1 of the field device 4, the functions C-1 and C-2 of the field device 5 are connected by a function connection 6. . Here, the function C-3 of the field device 5 is not used.

In the system construction of the field device system of FIG. 6, first, the control device 10 and the field devices 3 to 5 are physically connected by the control line 2 (physical connection). Next, the functions (sensing function, arithmetic function, etc.) of each field device 3-5 are functionally connected by the function connection unit 12 of the control device 10. As a result, the function connection 6 is formed, and the monitoring / control unit 11 of the control device 10 can monitor and control each function of the field devices 3 to 5.

  Prior art documents related to the field device system system construction function include the following.

JP 2004-94457 A

  In a conventional system, a field device having an extra function and an excessive function is connected to a control line. When building a system, only necessary functions of field device devices with excessive functions are connected and used. For example, in FIG. 6, the function C-3 of the field device 5 is not used, but it cannot be removed even if unnecessary. However, the fact that the field device has a function that is not used means that the field device device has useless resources (ROM and RAM inside the field device). Since the functions to be installed in conventional field devices are determined at the time of production at the factory, the construction of an optimal system consisting of field devices that have only the minimum necessary functions without any extra functions. Is not feasible.

  The present invention is intended to solve such a problem, and provides a field device system capable of constructing an optimum system composed of field devices having only necessary minimum functions without having extra functions. It aims to be realized.

In order to achieve such a problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present invention is:
In the field device system that performs the function connection for connecting the functions of the field devices connected to the control device via the control line in software,
The controller is
A function setting unit for setting a function in the field device;
A functional connection part for setting the functional connection between the functions;
A server for storing software for executing the function and downloading the software to the field device is provided.

The invention according to claim 2
The field device system according to claim 1,
The server is provided in the control device.

The invention described in claim 3
The field device system according to claim 1,
The server is provided in a field device.

The invention according to claim 4
In the field device system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The function setting unit sets only functions necessary for the field device.

The invention according to claim 5
In the field device system construction method,
In the system construction method of the field device system in which the control device performs the function connection for connecting the functions of the field devices connected via the control line in software.
The control device setting a function in the field device;
The controller sets a functional connection between the functions;
Downloading software for executing the function from a server to the field device.

The invention described in claim 6
In the system construction method of the field equipment system according to claim 5,
The control device sets only functions necessary for the field device.

  As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, in the field device system that performs the function connection for connecting the functions of the field devices connected to the control device via the control line in software, the control is performed. The apparatus includes a function setting unit that sets a function in the field device, and a function connection unit that sets the function connection between the functions, holds software for executing the function, and stores the software in the By providing a server for downloading to field devices, to realize a field device system that can construct an optimum system consisting of field devices with only the minimum necessary functions without having extra functions. Can do.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram showing an example of a field device system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in FIG. 6 are given the same symbols.

The control device 20 includes a monitoring / control unit 21, a system optimization unit 22, and a server unit 23, and is connected to the field devices 13 to 15 via the control line 2. After the system is constructed, the monitoring / control unit 21 monitors and controls the field devices 13 to 15. The system optimization unit 22 includes a function setting unit 221 that sets functions in the field devices 13 to 15 and a function connection unit 222 that performs software connection for each function set in the field devices 13 to 15. Enables system construction. The server unit 23 constitutes a server that holds a plurality of software for the field devices 13 to 15 to execute each function and supplies the software to each function of the field devices 13 to 15. The field devices 13 to 15 are configured such that software can be downloaded from the control device 20 via the control line 2.

The system construction of the field device system of FIG. 1 is performed according to the following procedure (see the flowchart of FIG. 3).
As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 20 and the field devices 13 to 15 are physically connected by a control line (physical connection). (Step S1)
The function setting unit 221 of the control device 20 assigns and sets only the functions necessary for the operation of the factory or the plant to the field devices 13 to 15 from the operation screen or the like (indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 1) ( In step S2), these functions (sensing function, calculation function, etc.) are connected in software by the function connection unit 222 (step S3). That is, the function A-1 and function A-2 are assigned to the field device 13, the function B-1 is assigned to the field device 14, and the function C-1 and function C-2 are assigned to the field device 15, respectively. A-1 is connected to functions B-1 and C-1, and functions A-2 and C-2 are connected.
Since the function required for the field devices 13 to 15 is determined in the operation (2), the server unit 23 downloads software for executing the above functions to the field devices 13 to 15 through the control line 2. (Large arrow in FIG. 1). (Step S4)

By downloading the software, the field devices 13 to 15 are in a state where they can actually execute the function (in FIG. 2, the function is indicated by a solid line). The control device 20 monitors and controls the field devices 13 to 15 by the monitoring / control unit 21.

  According to the field device system configured as described above, the optimum software is dynamically set in the field device at the time of system construction, and the entire system is optimized. It becomes possible to construct with inexpensive equipment, and the cost of system construction can be reduced.

In addition, when the system is optimized, the performance of the entire system can be improved by taking into consideration the storage capability, calculation capability, communication capability, and the like of each field device. FIG. 4 is a time chart showing an example thereof. In the conventional system, even if the function C-3 is not used at the system construction stage, the function C-3 is incorporated at the stage of production at the factory and cannot be removed. ), The function C-3 is the longest response time of the field device C. However, according to the field device system as shown in the above embodiment, since the unused function C-3 (dotted line) is not set in the field device C as shown in (b), the response time of the field device C is shortened. (Refer to the execution time after optimization in FIG. 4).

In addition, the overall performance can be improved by selecting a field device for setting a function so that the cycle time of the field device does not become long.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, since only the optimum function is operated, power consumption due to unnecessary computing power is eliminated. For this reason, all the electric power consumed by the system is only the electric power necessary for system operation, and the use efficiency of electric power is improved. In the case of FIG. 4, the machine power is not consumed for the function C-3, so that the power efficiency of the entire system can be improved.

  FIG. 5 is a configuration block diagram showing a second example of the field device system according to the embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same symbols, and redundant description is omitted.

The control device 30 includes a monitoring / control unit 31 and a system optimization unit 32 similar to those of the control device 20 of FIG. 1, and is connected to the field devices 13 to 16 via the control line 2. The monitoring / control unit 31 monitors and controls the field devices 13 to 15 after the system construction. The system optimizing unit 32 includes a function setting unit 321 that sets functions in the field devices 13 to 15 and a function connection unit 322 that performs software connection for each function set in the field devices. Enable. The field device 16 has a function as a server that holds a plurality of software for the field devices 13 to 15 to execute each function and supplies the software to each function of the field devices 13 to 15. The field devices 13 to 15 are configured such that software can be downloaded from the field device 16 via the control line 2.

The system construction of the field device system of FIG. 5 is performed according to the following procedure.
As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 31 and the field devices 13 to 15 are connected by the control line 2 (physical connection).
The function setting unit 321 of the control device 31 virtually assigns only the functions necessary for the operation of the factory or the plant to the field devices 13 to 15 from the operation screen or the like (displays the functions with dotted lines in FIG. 5). ), These functions (sensing function, arithmetic function, etc.) are connected by software using the function connection unit 322. The details are the same as in the case of FIG.
Since functions required for the field devices 13 to 15 are determined in the operation (2), software for executing each of the virtually assigned functions is transmitted from the field device 16 via the control line 2 to the field device. Download to 13-15 (large arrow in FIG. 5).

As in the case of FIG. 1, after the software download of the field devices 13 to 15 is completed, the system is operated and the operation is started. The control device 30 monitors and controls the field devices 13 to 15 by the monitoring / control unit 31.

  According to the field device system configured as described above, it is possible to obtain the same effect as that of the embodiment of FIG. 1, and there is an advantage that resources such as the memory of the control device 31 are not consumed in the server unit.

In each of the above-described embodiments, the case where there are three field devices to be monitored and controlled is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to any number of cases. The same applies to the number of functions of each field device.
Further, one of the field devices to be monitored / controlled may be provided with a server function to supply download software.

1 is a configuration block diagram showing an example of a field device system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram showing a state after the system construction of the system of FIG. 1. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure after the system construction of the system of FIG. It is a time chart which shows an example of optimization of the system of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the 2nd Example of the field device system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the conventional field device system.

Explanation of symbols

2 Control line 23, 16 Server 20, 30 Control device 13, 14, 15 Field device 21, 31 Monitoring / control unit 221, 321 Function setting unit 222, 322 Function connection unit

Claims (6)

In the field device system that performs the function connection for connecting the functions of the field devices connected to the control device via the control line in software,
The controller is
A function setting unit for setting a function in the field device;
A functional connection part for setting the functional connection between the functions;
A field device system comprising a server that holds software for executing the function and downloads the software to the field device. The field device system according to claim 1, wherein the server is provided in the control device. The field device system according to claim 1, wherein the server is provided in a field device. 4. The field device system according to claim 1, wherein the function setting unit sets only a function necessary for the field device. 5. In the system construction method of the field device system in which the control device performs the function connection for connecting the functions of the field devices connected via the control line in software.
The control device setting a function in the field device;
The controller sets a functional connection between the functions;
And a step of downloading software for executing the function from a server to the field device. 6. The system construction method for a field device system according to claim 5, wherein the control device sets only functions necessary for the field device.

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